1. Field of the Invention
This invention belongs to the field of terminals of electric connectors and relates to a terminal having a laid-down protruding piece that exhibits at least one function of a function of guiding the terminal to a predetermined position inside a receiving cell of a housing when the terminal is to be inserted into the receiving cell, a function of being fitted on a flexible piece of the housing and a function of preventing the terminal from being inserted into the housing the other way.
2. Related Art
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2000-231956 discloses a female-type terminal of electric connector. The front half of this female-type terminal is approximately formed into a box shape so that the front half can be inserted into a receiving cell of a housing, a port is opened in the front end thereof for accepting a male-type terminal, a connecting part to be connected with an electric wire is provided in the rear thereof, and a contact spring, of which top end extending frontward to press and contact the male-type terminal, is provided inside the female-type terminal. Moreover, the above-mentioned front half comprises a bottom wall, side walls rising, respectively, from both ends in the width direction of the bottom wall, an outer top wall extending from the upper edge of one side wall toward the upper edge of the other side wall and an inner top wall extending from the upper edge of the latter side wall toward the upper edge of the former side wall, the outer top wall lapping on the inner top wall. A spring protection part is formed on the inner top wall by drawing so that the spring protection part drops on the front side of the top end of the contact spring. This Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2000-231956 discloses a stabilizer that is provided on the outer top wall. When the female-type terminal is inserted into a receiving cell of a housing, this stabilizer will be inserted into a groove being made upward in the top wall of the receiving cell and extending in the front-rear direction. The stabilizer will be advanced to go beyond a lance that is formed in the front part of the groove to flex in the width direction. Eventually, the stabilizer will be set on the front side of the lance and fitted on the lance.
Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication Heisei 3-9256 discloses a female-type terminal having an electric contact part. The terminal is formed by bending a conductive plate into a rectangular tube having a bottom wall, both side walls and a top wall. The electric contact part is formed by lapping a retaining piece over the free end of the top wall, the retaining piece being formed by bending an extended part of one side wall. In this female-type terminal, a protrusion is formed on either the free end part of the top wall or the retaining piece, and an overlapping part is formed by the top wall free end part and the retaining piece contacting each other through the protrusion. The retaining piece prevents the female-type terminal from being inserted into the housing the other way.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 11-283688 discloses a terminal, wherein a flexible fitting piece of a box-shaped terminal fitting member is fitted on a shoulder of a rectangular-tube-shaped electric contact part having a bottom wall being one end of a flat plate, and the insertion position of the terminal inside the terminal receiving cell can be detected. In this terminal an extending plate is continuously provided on one side wall of the above-mentioned electric contact part, the extending plate is folded double on the top wall side of the electric contact part to form a stabilizer, a notch for the stabilizer is formed in one side wall of the above-mentioned terminal fitting member, and after a fitting craw formed on the free end of the above-mentioned flexible fitting piece and the above-mentioned shoulder are fitted together, the notch is fitted on the stabilizer. In the case of this terminal, as the terminal fitting member is made to fit on both the stabilizer of the terminal and the shoulder, the force of fitting the terminal by means of the terminal fitting member is enhanced.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 8-7964 discloses a terminal for waterproof connector, wherein a slant insertion guiding part is formed by notching both side walls from the intermediate part of the front end of an accepting part toward the top end of the bottom plate. When this terminal is made to pass through an insertion hole of a waterproof plug, the terminal will gradually expand and open the insertion hole. Hence the terminal does not damage the insertion hole nor deteriorate the sealing performance of the waterproof plug.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2000-91022 discloses a waterproof connector comprising a housing having a holding part, into which terminals with electric wires fixed thereto are inserted and held and a seal setting part on the rear side of the holding part, an elastic soft sealing member, of which front face is made to contact the rear face of the seal setting part of the housing and in which terminal and electric wire insertion holes are formed, and a holder having a holding part contacting the rear face of the sealing member to hold it, a locking part to be locked on the housing while holding the sealing member and terminal and electric wire insertion holes. In the case of this waterproof connector, the above-mentioned terminal is a rectangular terminal, and a stabilizer for preventing reverse insertion is formed on one of the four faces of the terminal. The stabilizer is provided in the form of a protrusion stamped from the inner face toward the outer face. In this waterproof connector, when the terminal is inserted into the terminal and electric wire insertion hole of the sealing member or when the terminal is pulled out of the terminal and electric wire insertion hole of the sealing member, the stabilizer of the terminal will not be hooked on the inlet or the outlet of the terminal and electric wire insertion hole. Thus cracks are hardly formed in the terminal and electric wire insertion hole.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2000-268907 discloses a female-side terminal member, wherein an opening, into which a counterpart male terminal can be inserted, is formed in the top end of a box-shaped body being formed by bending a metal plate. In the case of this female-side terminal member, the edges of the above-mentioned opening are rounded by folding back extended pieces being extended on the top end of the body toward the inside. When this female-side terminal member is made to pass through an insertion hole of, for example, a waterproof rubber plug, the waterproof rubber plug can be prevented from being damaged.